According to a PTI report: The Council has reduced tax rates on over 200 items ranging from chewing gum and chocolates to beauty products and wigs and wrist watches to provide relief to consumers and businesses.

As many as 178 items of daily use were shifted from the top tax bracket of 28 per cent to 18 per cent while a uniform 5 per cent tax was prescribed for all restaurants, both air- conditioned and non-AC.

“This is a welcome step and would benefit the masses. Soap, detergent, toothpaste and shampoo etc are such articles which are used by people at large scale by all the sections of society, whether poor or rich,” CEO and MD, Patanjali Ayurveda, Acharya Balakrishna told PTI.

He further said this would help people purchase their goods for daily requirement at lesser price.

“It is a welcome step which will benefit the consumers. HUL will be delighted to pass on the net benefits at the corporate level to the consumers,” a Hindustan Unilever spokesperson was quoted by PTI as saying.

“This reduction will make these products more affordable and will certainly aid consumption. Marico has been very proactive in terms of passing on the benefits of lower GST rates to consumers,” CFO, Marico Ltd, Vivek Karve told PTI.

The company had reduced 5 per cent in hair oils and 3-4 per cent in saffola oils post GST rollout in July, he added.

“We are delighted with this very progressive step that the government has taken to reduce GST rates for products like ours that are consumed by the masses. We have always believed in keeping the interest of our consumers in mind and will pass on the benefits to them,” a Mondelez India spokesperson was quoted by PTI as saying.